Yesterday was not a typical graduation. Many of these graduates missed their high school graduation due to Covid. There was increased security which slowed entrance. It was raining. Then the rain stopped just as the ceremony began and stayed away for the duration.
Graduation means different things to different graduates. Some are thrilled at the accomplishment. Some are thrilled to be moving on. Some are indifferent to the accomplishment and to moving on. Many are apprehensive about what lies ahead and sad for the relationship changes that come with post-graduation life.
Many of our graduates mistakenly believe that now they have learned all they need to know. Those of us with a little more perspective know that learning is a life-long necessity. I also like to think of myself as a Baysian thinker. Essentially, I try to update my understanding as I get new information. My beliefs are not binary, but more on a sliding scale. This requires keeping an open mind and being curious about the world. I’d like to think that all our graduates are prepared to lead a life of curiosity and continuous learning, while maintaining an open mind.
Milestones=Reflection
Significant milestones like graduations are a good chance for reflection. Reflection is important. It is hard to find our way forward without understanding our past. The satisfaction that comes from the progress we’ve made gives us the energy to continue to improve. Take a moment to reflect on what you and your team have accomplished this academic year. Celebrate the wins, and pledge to lean into continuous improvement.
Finding (and Renewing) Our Purpose
Graduation also helps us understand our purpose. Climbing the ranks of research universities, and serving New York City and the cities that host our global campuses, are important but acknowledgments are small and irregular compared to graduation. We get to see the results of our efforts in the faces of the young people wearing violet robes.
Our graduates have achieved success at one of the best and most selective universities in the world. They will eventually be responsible for the world we live in. I have faith they will do a good job. I think I have more faith in these graduates than my parents did about my generation.
What we do is important. Reflect and take pride in what you do to support this great University and breathe a sigh of relief that another academic year is in the bag!
One Purpose: Empowering Research and Scholarship
I want to congratulate the 2024 NYU Digital Humanities (DH) Seed Grant winners and Graduate Fellows. DH Seed Grants are a collaboration involving the NYU Libraries and NYU Research and Instructional Technology. They provide promising research projects with funding to take their research to the next level. To date, $1.07 million in external grant funds have been awarded to recipients of DH Seed Grants, and with the latest cohort, the programs have supported 25 faculty projects and 39 graduate students. It’s a great example of how resources provided by the IT at NYU community translate into breakthrough scholarship.